Tweet
Multi-platinum soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, age 59, died Wednesday in a hospital just outside his hometown of Philadelphia, Pa., according to the Associated Press. Pendergrass had been paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car crash in 1982, and was currently trying to recover from colon cancer surgery which he underwent last year.
Pendergrass leaves behind a formidable catalog of soul and R&B classics. Originally rising to fame as part of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Pendergrass experienced success early on with such '70s standards as 'If You Don't Know Me by Now' and 'Wake Up Everybody.' He split with the Blue Notes in 1976 to pursue a solo career and exploded right out of the gate with his self-titled solo debut, which went platinum and spawned the hit singles, 'I Don't Love You Anymore' and 'The More I Get the More I Want.'
After the 1982 car accident left him in a wheelchair, Pendergrass became something of a hero and spokesperson for victims of spinal cord injuries. He continued to record R&B hits and he famously made his return to the stage at the massive Live Aid concert in 1985, but his real influence in recent years was with the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance where he encouraged and assisted others with spinal cord injuries to live full lives. To that end, Pendergrass led by example.
Pendergrass leaves behind a formidable catalog of soul and R&B classics. Originally rising to fame as part of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Pendergrass experienced success early on with such '70s standards as 'If You Don't Know Me by Now' and 'Wake Up Everybody.' He split with the Blue Notes in 1976 to pursue a solo career and exploded right out of the gate with his self-titled solo debut, which went platinum and spawned the hit singles, 'I Don't Love You Anymore' and 'The More I Get the More I Want.'
After the 1982 car accident left him in a wheelchair, Pendergrass became something of a hero and spokesperson for victims of spinal cord injuries. He continued to record R&B hits and he famously made his return to the stage at the massive Live Aid concert in 1985, but his real influence in recent years was with the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance where he encouraged and assisted others with spinal cord injuries to live full lives. To that end, Pendergrass led by example.
Comment